Baked Potato Soup

This soup is so amazing!  It is worth the extra step for sure.

Baked Potato Soup

2 1/2 c. potatoes; cube and boiled                1/2 c. potato flakes

1/4 c. butter                                              1/8 tsp. season salt

1 Tbsp. minced onion                                  1/2 tsp. basil

3 Tbsp. flour                                              1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce

2 1/2 c. warm water                                   1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

2 Tbsp. chicken base(4 bouillon cubes)         1/2 c. 2% milk

Cube and boil potatoes, set aside.  Saute onion in butter, add flour and cook 4 to 5 minutes.  In a large saucepan combine water, chicken base, potato flakes, and seasonings.  Stir over medium heat until mixed and no lumps.  Add onion slowly.  Add milk and cream; stir until smooth.  Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add potatoes. 

When ready to serve, top with (we like sharp) cheddar cheese, bacon and chives.

I always triple or quadruple it.  It only serves probably 4-5

Pumpkin Stew

As soon as we started seeing fresh pumpkins this year, the kids were begging me to make this stew.  It has a long cook time, but it's easier than you think to prep and definitely worth the little bit of extra effort.  I also love using this recipe when we need to take dinner to other people.  It's hearty and beautiful to serve.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes

• 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

• 1 cup water

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 4 medium carrots, sliced

• 1 large green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

• 2 tablespoons beef bouillon granules

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained

• 1 pumpkin (10 to 12 pounds)

• Directions In a Dutch oven, brown meat in 2 tablespoons oil. Add water, potatoes, carrots, green pepper, garlic, onion, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Stir in bouillon and tomatoes. Wash pumpkin; cut to 6 to 8 in. circle around top stem. Remove top and set aside; discard seeds and loosen fibers from inside. Place pumpkin in a shallow sturdy baking pan. Spoon stew into pumpkin and replace top. Brush outside of pumpkin with remaining oil. Bake at 325° for 2 hours or just until the pumpkin is tender (do not overbake). Serve stew from pumpkin, scooping out a little pumpkin with each serving. Yield: 8-10 servings.

Pizza Bread Rolls

Marissa came home from YW's raving about this recipe and wanting to have it again immediately.  Since she hadn't found anything besides this in about a week that she could comfortably eat with her orthodontic expander, I was just thrilled she ate something.  So I haven't tried this yet...but I look forward to doing so soon.  I'm adding the story printed on the top of the recipe.

Every recipe has a story: (recipe given to Linda Hill by Loree and Eric Thorerson while Kent was in grad school at University of Illinois in Champaign...Eric brought this recipe home from his mission in Italy and it was "top secret" for a long time until Loree assured Eric that she wasn't going to open a restaurant...Loree was making quite a bit of money selling these to all of Eric's classmates at the university).  This is a HUGE crowd pleaser...I usually double it.

2 cups hot tap water
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 heaping tablespoons instant yeast (my favorite is "Saf Yeast")
1/2 cup oil
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups flour at first (plus 3-4 cups that you'll add later)

Mix all of the above ingredients, then gradually add 3-4 more.  Knead for 5 minutes by hand or in a mixer.  Let the mixture sit in the bowl.  Cover with a clean towel and let rise about double in size (about 30 minutes).  Divide dough into about 10-12 balls.  Roll out and place about 5-6 pieces of pepperoni and about 1/4 cup shredded mozarella cheese.  Flip left and right sides of the circle in and then start at one end.  Roll the dough and toppings into a tube shape and secure edges by pinching the dough.  Place seam side down onto pans sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Cover and let them rise another 20 minutes or so.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Fool Proof Whole Wheat Bread

Use the above recipe, but substitute whole what for the white flour and olive oil for the vegetable oil.  I also add another tablespoon of yeast and at the following:

4T lecithin
1/4 cup gluten (or substitute one of the cups of what flour with white flour)

Make the dough as usual and then cover and let sit in the bowl to rise for about 20-30 minutes.  Divide in half or thirds (depending on the size of the bread pan).  Form into loaves and place in well-greased bread pan.  Brush with a little olive oil, cover and let rise at least 30 minutes and then bake in 350 degree oven for about 35 minutes or until a darker, golden brown.

Slice and smother with honey butter and watch it disappear.

Note:  Basically, the above two recipes can be altered with wheat, half wheat half white, add a little bean flour, make with oat flour, etc.  Experiment to your heart's content.  It is really quite fail-proof.

Heather's Taco Soup

This is one of my all time favorites, and I just realized today that I never posted it...probably because I cook it so often I know the recipe by heart. <3

1 lb. beef

1 onion cut in thin slices

Cook meat with onion first, then add in pot.

3 cans pinto beans

1 can ranch-style beans

1 can original Rotel

3 cans corn

3 cans stewed tomatoes

1 large can tomato sauce

1 can water

1 package ranch powder

1 package taco seasoning mix

salt and pepper

Put in pot about 25 minutes or until warm enough to eat

Add cheese and crushed chips individually as desired

Rueben Burgers from Restaurant Impossible

I was watching Restaurant Impossible this week and saw this burger and knew I just had to have it. And voila...there was the recipe on the internet. What did we ever do without Google? They were definitely worth the search...love these burgers!

Ingredients

Dressing:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup catsup
• 1/4 cup pickle relish
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon celery seed
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 2 cups sauerkraut, drained
• Grapeseed oil, for cooking
• 
  

Burgers:

• 1 pound ground beef, 80/20 blend
• 1 pound corned beef, ground
• 1 pound ground pork
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices Swiss or Gruyere cheese
• 
  

Burger Construction:

• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pats
• 4 good-quality kaiser rolls

Directions

For the dressing: In a bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, catsup, relish, vinegar, celery seed and hot sauce, mixing well. Then blend with the sauerkraut and hold.

For the burgers: Preheat a grill to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl, blend the beef, corned beef and pork by hand, mixing well until evenly and thoroughly mixed. Next, portion the meat into 4 equal patties and sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill the burgers on the first side for 5 to 6 minutes, then flip and repeat grilling on the second side.

While the burgers are cooking, in a saute pan over high heat, add grapeseed oil, allow to heat until smoking then reduce the heat to medium. Next, add the dressed sauerkraut and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring with a spatula during the process. Once cooked, add one-quarter of the dressed kraut on the top of the burgers, and then top with the cheese.

To build the burgers: Heat a pan over medium-high heat, add the butter to the pan and brown the rolls one at a time, repeating the process until all the rolls have been browned. Then place the dressed burgers on the bottom buns, finish with the bun top and serve.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Tried this recipe from Our Best Bites last week and it was so amazing. I think it will be a new family favorite.

2 tsp canola oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 lb ground chicken*
3 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped (about 8 small mushrooms)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4 C bagged coleslaw mix or thinly shredded cabbage
1 8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained, rinsed, and finely minced
1/2 C thinly sliced green onions
4 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 3-4 Tbs juice)
1/2-1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce (1 tsp of Sriracha is fairly spicy in my opinion, so if you want less or no kick, just give it a little, or you can leave it out completely)
1/3 C roughly chopped cilantro
1-2 heads iceberg lettuce

*To prepare your own ground chicken, cut boneless skinless chicken breasts into large chunks and pulse in a food processor until ground.

Dipping/Drizzling Sauce
4 Tbs soy sauce
4 Tbs rice vinegar
3 Tbs water
2 tsp honey
1-2 tsp finely minced fresh ginger

Heat a very large skillet to medium-high heat on the stove top. When hot, add vegetable oil and then garlic and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, and then add ground chicken, chopped mushrooms, and kosher salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is cooked through. (*At this point, sometimes I have some extra liquid in the pan from the chicken. If it’s quite a bit, I tilt the pan and spoon it out so the chicken can cook and not boil.) Add cabbage/coleslaw, water chestnuts, and green onions. Cook for about 2 minutes, until cabbage starts to wilt. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, the zest from the lemon and the lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine all ingredients and whisk to combine.

To serve, carefully remove the individual leaves from the head of lettuce. (The closer you get to the center, the easier it becomes!) Place chicken mixture in the leaves and serve with sauce.

Yield: about 5 C chicken mixture. Makes 14-16 lettuce wraps.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed
• 1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups water
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• 7 corn tortillas
• vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.
4. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

Tuna Cheese Swirls

1/3 C Chopped Onion
1/3 C Chopped Bell Pepper
3 TBS Shortening (oil)
1/4 C Bisquick
1 Can Cream of Mushroom or Celery Soup
1/2 C Milk
1 Can Tuna (drained)
1 Can Peas (drained)
2 C Bisquick
1/2 C Water
3/4 C Grated Cheese

Cook onions and green peppers in shortening, till tender. Add bisquick and soup, gradually add milk, Boil 1 minute. Add tuna and peas. Keep warm until biscuits are ready. Mix bisquick with water. Roll out into rectangle, sprinkle with cheese. Roll dough into long tube. Cut into 1 1/4in sections. Pour soup into sprayed pan then lay biscuits on top. Bake 20-25 minutes at 425 degrees.




Notes from AM: Some things I change- add an extra can of soup and probably another 1/2 cup of milk.

For the biscuits... I do 1 1/2 recipe (so 3 c bisquick, 1 C Water). I also only cut mine about 1/2 inch. This should give you enough to cover the top of a 9x13 pan.

Runza

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• FILLING:
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 2 small onions, chopped
• 4 cups chopped cabbage
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, place 1-3/4 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Heat milk, water and shortening to 120 degrees F-130 degrees F. Pour over flour mixture; add the eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low until blended. Beat 3 additional minutes on high. Stir in the remaining flour; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes Place dough in a greased bowl; cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, brown beef and onions in a skillet. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper; cook until cabbage is wilted. Punch dough down; roll into 12/6-in. squares. Top each square with 1/3 cup meat mixture. Fold into triangles. Pinch edges tightly to seal and place on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Serve hot.

Posole

4-6 red chile pods
2 cartons of chicken broth
about 3 lbs pork shoulder, cubed
2 onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
salt
pepper
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons cumin
1/2 tsp chipotle powder
3 cans hominy

For Garnish - limes, diced onion, cilantro, and more mexican oregano

Boil chile pods (stems rand seeds removed) in 1/2 carton of chicken broth. Once soft pulse entire mixture in blender and place in stock pot. Set aside.

Saute pork (seasoned with salt and pepper), diced onions, and garlic until meat is nearly done. Place in stock pot. Start to boil mixture and slowly add remaining broth, spices, and hominy. Simmer for 2 hours.

Garnish to taste individual servings with fresh onion, cilantro, lime, and Mexican oregano.

Chicken can be substituted for the pork...and I usually prefer it that way.

Chili Verde

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds pork sirloin roast, rinsed, trimmed, and cubed
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1 large onion, minced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded and membranes removed if desired
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
2-3 tablespoons sugar

1. In a large saucepan or stockpot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the pork cubes and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add onion and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until everything is tender and fragrant.
2. While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapenos, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make the sauce easy to blend.
3. Pour the tomatillo mixture over the pork and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, cumin, and sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. You can also turn the heat to high and boil the chile verde uncovered until the desired consistency is reached. Just be sure to still frequently to avoid scorching.

To make green enchilada sauce, omit the pork.

This can be cooked in a slow cooker all day on low.

After the pork is cooked, all ingredients can be combined and frozen. When ready to cook, place in slow cooker and cook on low for 9-10 hours.

Serve in flour tortillas for Pork Tacos with Chili Verde

Natchitoches Meat Pies

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 plus teaspoons Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning or similar Cajun or Creole seasoning, to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste (start with about 1/4 teaspoon)
1 (14.5 ounce) can beef broth
Pie crust, tripled
1 egg
1/4 cup cold water

1. In a large skilled, brown ground beef and ground pork, breaking the meat into small pieces. When it's about halfway cooked, drain excess fat (if necessary) and then add green and red peppers, onion, celery, and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender and onions are translucent.
2. Add 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning and 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco. Add beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Cook for about 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with additional Cajun or Tabasco if necessary, keeping in mind the the seasonings will mellow in the pie. You can refrigerate this mixture for 3-4 days before baking the pies.
3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Prepare pie crust and roll the entire ball onto a floured surface. For large (meal-sized) pies, use a bowl that's about 6 inches across the top; just invert the bowl onto the dough and trace a knife around it to cut the dough. For smaller, appetizer-sized pies, use a round cookie cutter.
5. Place about 1/4 cup of the meat mixture onto one half of the dough circle for meal-sized pies (1-2 t for appetizer pies), keeping about 1/2 inch to 1 inch from the edges. Fold the other side over and gently pinch the edges shut.
6. Place prepared pies onto baking sheet. In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cold water and brush over the pies. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.

You can prepare the pies through the stop of brushing with the egg wash, place on baking sheet and freeze, and then transfer to ziplock bags. When ready, bake at 400 until the pies are golden brown, about 40-45 minutes.

Chipotle Beef Taquitos

3 cups cooked, shredded beef roast
1/4-1/2 teaspoon minced chipotle pepper canned in adobo sauce (1/4 t in mild)
1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, undrained
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the canned chipotle peppers
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
zest from 1 lime
11 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 package queso fresco or Cotija cheese, crumbled (about 12 ounces)
About 20 6-inch corn tortillas

Olive oil or cooking spray

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

*If you don't want to work with the chipotle peppers or can't find them, try adding some chipotle chili powder. You can find it by the other spices in the grocery store. It will still give you a smoky spice, so start with a little and increase according to taste.

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Slice the shredded beef against the grain into pieces about 1/2 inch to 1 inch long. Place in a bowl and set aside.
3. Combine chilies, chipotle pepper, adobo sauce, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, chili powder, and lime zest and juice in a bowl. After stirring to combine, gently toss together with shredded beef.
4. Wrap a pile of about 10 tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for 1 minute to soften. Repeat with remaining 10 tortillas.
5. Working with one tortilla at a time, crumble about 1 tablespoon queso fresco in a line across the center of the tortilla. Top with 1-2 tablespoons shredded beef mixture and roll tightly. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spray tops of taquitos lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with kosher salt.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Meatball Stew

(feeds 25)
1/4 c. Onion-- Saute in 4 T. oil
1 1/2 c. Bread Crumbs -- soak in 2/3 c. Milk
Add to 3 lbs. Hamburger
2 t. Salt
3 eggs
Mix well-- refrigerate 1 hour

1 1/2 c. chopped celery
3 large onions, chopped fine
6 c. potato cubes
9 carrots, sliced
5 tsp. salt
Pepper
8 c. Water
3 cans petite diced tomatoes
Cook vegetables 1/2 hour. Add meatballs and cook 1/2 hour longer.

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

Boil 2-3 chicken breasts until fully cooked(I add onion and celery salt to water). Remove Chicken and shred into pieces. Bring broth from chicken to boil; add 2 boullion cubes if necessary for more taste. Add wide egg noodles-- boil for 1/2 of the time on the package directions. Add enough milk to make broth look milky (more milky than watery) Add thickener (I start with 1c water whisked with 1/2 c Flour) Add chicken back into pot. Simmer-- will thicken as it simmers- be sure to stir frequently to prevent sticking. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve over mashed potatoes or eat as is.

Sour Cream Pork Chops by Anne-Marie

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Directions: Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours.Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to High for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops.